Hawthorne postpones vote on $2.4 million HUD reimbursement

The Hawthorne City Council this week postponed scheduling a payment to the federal government to reimburse it for mishandled Department of Housing and Urban Development funds.

The council voted 4-0 on Tuesday, with Mayor Danny Juarez absent, to table the discussion until the next meeting on April 9.

HUD officials have demanded that the city repay the agency about $2.4 million in mismanaged funds spent from 2004 to 2009 on housing rehabilitation programs. The city manager proposed asking HUD to arrange a payment plan for the city, but council members said staff should challenge the repayment because the city's past problems have been ameliorated.